The Japanese government has announced the operation of a helpline for male victims of sexual abuse

The Japanese government announced today the helpline operation for the men who have fallen victim of sexual abuse in the wake of the biggest-hitting sexual assault scandal boy band agency of the country.

This line will open from Friday and for three months for boys and men, who will be able to receive advice from professionals over the phone. They will also be able to put them in touch with local specialist centers or the police. “We hope that victims will feel safe and that they will be able to receive advice without hesitation”, Ayouko Kato, the new Minister responsible for Policies for Children, told reporters, as reported by APE-MPE.

Japan already has a helpline for victims of sexual abuse, both male and female, but a government official told AFP there have been protests from people who believe men may hesitate to use this service.

The Japanese entertainment industry was rocked in early September by the president of agency Johnny & Associate, who acknowledged that her predecessor Johnny Kitagawa had sexually abused boys from the country music scene which promoted. Kitagawa, who died in 2019 at the age of 87, founded the agency in 1962, which has reigned for decades in the Japanese entertainment industry and brought to the stage well-known idol groups such as Smap, Arashi or Tokio.

While he was still alive, Japanese media had revealed allegations against him of abusing and sexually exploiting minors. However, Kitagawa had secured damages for libel after these articles, although that decision was partially overturned on appeal. The controversy over Johnny Kitagawa came back to the fore following the airing of a documentary by the British public television network BBC earlier this year and the accusations made against him openly by one of his alleged victims.